All in all, I found anthropology to be a very entertaining fanfiction that did a fantastic job of exploring the differences between Earth and Equestrian culture in a way that made neither seem inferior in comparison.

The first third of the fic was mainly mystery and intrigue, with Lyra figuring out what exactly happened to the humans in Equestria, and why they're never acknowledged. It works very well.

The second third of the fic is about Lyra adjusting to the human world, and how she fails to fit in despite her thorough research on them. It also works well.

The final third involves Discord finding his way to Earth, and Lyra's new human friends stopping him. It doesn't really work at all.

The final act of Anthropology, all in all, just feels rushed. There are a few brief moments where we get to see the panic and confusion brought about by Discord, as well as the ponies' and humans reactions to the differences in their cultures, but in the scramble to gather Lyra's friends together and stop Discord, all of that is quickly forgotten.

But the epilogue is by far the part that bothered me the most. Discord's petrified form has disappeared, presumably taken by the military, and it's heavily implied that Equestria is planning first contact with Earth, and that Lyra is somehow involved in planning it out.

Given the lack of closure here, this is very obviously sequel-baiting of some sort... Except the author has stated that he has no plans for any sort of continuation.

I'm sorry, but what? How the hell is that an ending? Raising even more questions, without any sort of plans on answering them?

The thing here that I'm hoping to see now is some sort of expanded universe, since the implications of the epilogue are not explored in any manner at all.

lol not sure but fuck that fic

For me, the story lost its appeal right when Lyra got to the human world.

I read the fic all the way through, and really loved Lyra searching for evidence of humans on Equestria and experimenting with human technology there. The only thing I wish was that there were more awkward instances where the differences of the two cultures were explored. but yeah, the finale is a bit rushed, and I wish there was a little more explanation as to Discord and the upcoming first contact. all in all, the story was a 4 out of 5, imho

The part where they faced Discord was rushed like a mofo, but otherwise I found it OK. I like the ending because it lets us envision what happens afterward, and JasonTheHuman would be able to go back on his word if he wanted to and not have to retcon to bludgeon in a sequel.

But I hated the overall fic because Lyra didn't appeas in Fukushima. Or Bosnia. Or East Palo Alto. Or the wrong part of Los Angleles. Or Afghanistan. Or next to the Kaaba. Or in the middle of any industrial zone in China. Or Chernobyl. Or...

Or the futuristic bombed out crater where her parents home was ground zero for a nuke, the force of which propelled her through time and space because her crib was the exact center of the footprint. Ruins stretch for miles, the poisoned wind eating at her tender lungs.

But, sigh, she ended up in Happy Human Futureland where humanity has finally, miraculously, ended up creating the rational, cooperative, sustainable scientific civilization that it has failed at doing for the past 250,000 years. She finds a cool futuristic friend and they have cyborg posthuman babies together in Science Paradise! Woo.

I actually kind of liked it, even though you are right that it did seem somewhat rushed.

It was a relatively happy, optimistic ending, something I think I kind of needed right now.

Also, I liked the whole Book Ends thing. Last line was the same as the first, and we get to see that despite everything that has happened, Bon Bon is still Bon Bon and Lyra is still Lyra.

Admittedly I wouldn't mind seeing some kind of sequel. I really want to see the reactions of Lyra's friends, the interactions between her two sets of parents, her sister escatically running around Canterlot (and probably upsetting a lot of the ponies there), and the establishment of relations between the two worlds. That sort of thing.

Still, overall I was... satisfied with it. I liked it.

Sometimes, shit ACTUALLY does happen quickly. In fact, it happens quickly more often than not. The fics that drag it out over hundreds of pages are the entirely unbelievable ones. I havent read anthropology nor do I plan to, but one of the great classics of american literature, "A Wrinkle in Time" dedicated something like two and a half pages to the defeat of a villian it had spent a hundred and fifty building up.

363342
(can't, of course, speak for others) When I say rushed, I don't mean quick. I mean it could have taken more polishing and not just a mish-mash of NMM/Discord's defeat.

363416

Like I said, I havent really read it so I can't judge. *shrugs*

*cough* ME3 all over again *cough*

363301

I enjoyed it. It wasn't a classic masterpiece, by any means, but I think it's fair to keep your standards a bit lower than that when reading through Fanfiction.

Although, I will say that some of the bits in the human world felt less developed than they could have been. Particularly, as some have mentioned, the Discord arc. I got the feeling throughout that bit that the author just wanted to bring the story ti a close. And, though it read well and wrapped up the story nicely, he didn't take much time building up to the climax. He didn't explore any of the personal consequences of the chaos on the side-characters or how people were affected beyond "weird stuff is happening". And while he mentioned that Discord would get humans to hate each other, we see no actual effects of this beyond one tiny conversational spat that could have happened regardless of discord being there or not.

Most importantly, though, I think people were simply disappointed in how... standard the climax to the Discord arc was. The story was based on such a unique and interesting premise/beginning, so I think people expected a similar level of ingenuity in its denouement. But, it ended pretty much precisely in formulaic story-book format, with little adversity or conflict. The humans put on the elements, the elements work, discord is banished... the end. Not a bad ending, by any means, but not a particularly memorable one, either.

Still, overall, it's one the more enjoyable stories in here. And it certainly does communicate that essential, honest simplicity of the show that many of us love so much. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for pony fiction.

And here I was afraid it would've swerved into full-on "humans are bastards" territory.

I think the final battle with Discord was a bit glossed over.

365268, I wasn't afraid of that until I saw the ending where first contact was impending. I explicitly stated that "if the sequel goes 'Humans Are Bastards' territory, I will immediately cease reading it.

365268>>365344

I sincerely doubt that it would. Having read the author's comments and responses, it's pretty obvious he doesn't buy into the "Humans are Bastards" trope.

Actually, just reading the story itself should be evidence enough. His main characters/heroes are pretty much all human, and the human characters (I include Lyra in that) are all portrayed pretty fairly.

Although, I do believe he stated at some point that he doesn't plan to write a sequel? Not too sure on that, but this whole conversation might be moot in that case.

363328 I love how she apparently takes it as a given that we're all gonna nuke each other in the future.

368658

Ah yes, modern Des Moines. Happy Human Future Land where everyone is a cyborg and has happy cyborg babies.

I used to be frustrated at this kind of mindless rhetoric. Then I was bemused by the utterly ridiculous logic behind it. Now I just don't care, because I've come to an enlightening realization: crazy is as crazy does, and trying to involve yourself in it only makes you crazy too.

Just remember:

"The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them."

- Henry Miller